Before each Ohio State game, Eleven Warriors catches up with a media member who covers the opposing team to get his or her perspective on the Buckeyes' upcoming opponent.
As Ohio State prepares to play Rutgers once again on Saturday, we check in with James Kratch of NJ.com – who's been an annual guest for this column for several years ahead of the Buckeyes’ matchups with the Scarlet Knights – to get his perspective on the improvement Rutgers has made in Greg Schiano's second season leading the program.
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| RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS |
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3-1 ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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3:30 P.M. – SATURDAY, OCT. 2 SHI STADIUM PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY |
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BIG TEN NETWORK FOX SPORTS |
Ohio State has won all of its previous seven matchups with Rutgers by at least 22 points, but the Scarlet Knights are off to a 3-1 start this season, with their only loss coming by just seven points against Michigan. As they host the Buckeyes in Piscataway this year, will the Scarlet Knights give Ohio State more competition than it's ever faced from Rutgers before?
Kratch answers a six-pack of questions to tell us how Rutgers has improved drastically in just a couple of years’ time, what could enable the Scarlet Knights to give Ohio State a real game this weekend and what weaknesses the Buckeyes could still exploit.
Ohio State has played Rutgers annually since 2014. Will this be the best Rutgers team Ohio State has played?
Kratch: Without a doubt. The personnel is roughly the same compared to last year's meeting, but obviously improved after building confidence during last season and getting a full, “normal” offseason in the strength and conditioning program. This is the deepest Rutgers has been since becoming a Big Ten member. The Scarlet Knights have had Big Ten-caliber starters at most positions (not all, but most) in the past, but the depth has always been extremely suspect. That is no longer the case. They're not all the way there yet and there are still some weak spots, but there is less of a drop-off now across the board if a backup is forced into action.
How different is the feeling around Rutgers football right now than it was during the Chris Ash era? How has Greg Schiano elevated Rutgers football since his return?
Kratch: Night and day. Rutgers hit rock bottom at the end of the Ash era in large part because he should have been fired after the 2018 season. There was just no real buzz or hope in the fanbase from there on, so all of the air had been taken out of the room by the time Ash got canned four games into the 2019 season. But once Schiano was re-hired after the wild coaching search, everything changed. The strange COVID year threw a wrench in things, but the Scarlet Knights' surprisingly competitive 3-6 finish and early 2022 recruiting success really set the table for this fall, where it feels like the program is on the verge of getting back to where it was during Schiano's first tenure and then growing from there.
Rutgers and New Jersey itself are interesting places with sometimes strange dynamics. Ash had no clue how to manage any of them, while Schiano has proven to be one of the few (the only?) coaches who can bring everyone together and get the program moving in a unified direction.
Rutgers suffered its first loss of the season against Michigan, but had a chance to win in the fourth quarter. How would you assess the Scarlet Knights’ performance against the Wolverines?
Kratch: It was a strange game. Michigan went right down the field on its first two drives and I thought Rutgers was about to get run out of the Big House. But for whatever reason it felt – at least to me – like the Wolverines took their foot off the gas a bit at 14-3, taking field goals where they could have put the game away with touchdowns. I think those holds allowed Rutgers to settle in on defense, and then once it began forcing three-and-outs the offense began to assert itself on an increasingly-gassed Michigan defense and get back in the game.
It was an impressive performance for Rutgers in that it was the first time it has lined up against one of the Big Ten's top programs and been able to go toe-to-toe from a physicality standpoint. But I don't think that necessarily means the Scarlet Knights can try to go straight smash mouth against the Buckeyes. I still think this is a team that needs some gadgets and wrinkles to overcome a talent gap.
Rutgers is currently ranked in the top 11 nationally in both total defense and scoring defense. What’s been the key to the Scarlet Knights’ success on that side of the ball this year?
Kratch: The Scarlet Knights have been relentless taking the ball away, although they have no takeaways the last two weeks. And they get a very good push up front – third in the conference in sacks and tied for third in tackles for loss. But beyond that there really isn't any magic. They're been able to stay healthy and play clean football. This week is a big test because they struggle stopping the run against dynamic backs and the Ohio State pass attack could give them issues.
The Scarlet Knights haven't been great on offense, scoring just 30 total points in two games against Power 5 opponents. What’s been Rutgers’ biggest issue on that side of the ball?
Kratch: The Scarlet Knights were struggling to establish the run until the Michigan game and they haven't had much of a vertical passing game all year – two issues largely attributed to the offensive line, which has been up and down. That group played its best game against Michigan. Can it continue? Rutgers is never going to be much of a chunk play offense, so it needs to run consistently.
Who are the Rutgers players that Ohio State and its fans need to know about this weekend?
Kratch: On offense: Quarterback Noah Vedral, running back Isaih Pacheco, right guard Troy Rainey/right tackle Hollin Pierce (two second-year freshman starters I expect the Buckeyes will test early and often) and wideouts Bo Melton and Aron Cruickshank.
On defense, the entire defense is built to flow the ball to the linebacking corps, so Olakunle Fatukasi needs to have a big day for the Scarlet Knights. Nose guard Julius Turner missed the second half of the Michigan game due to a targeting ejection; I expect he will be playing inspired ball from the start.
